Every day, comparisons are made between our current economic struggles and those that befell Americans during the Great Depression. One claimed similarity sits in cosmetic cases and behind makeup counters: lipstick.

The Chicago Tribune featured a story in their business section about the ‘lipstick effect.’ The idea is simple: People who are making financial sacrifices will make small luxury purchases to help ease the pain of so much cutting back.

The story noted that in the 1930s, lipstick remained immune to the sales plunge other products suffered. It’s been almost 80 years since the start of the Great Depression and the lipstick trend is being noted once again as cosmetic sales rise.

“My opinion of the trend is that, if done in moderation, then it is fine because the key issue is to keep one’s spirits up,” said assistant economics professor Jeremy Groves. “If it is a case of substituting some lipstick for a full day at the spa, then this action, from a savings point of view, is not necessarily a bad move.”

While the notion of enjoying little luxuries is understandable, I don’t feel that it is a practical way to save. In fact, I remember being told as a child that it’s the small purchases that really add up. Indeed, I know from experience that small, seemingly insignificant purchases can do the most damage.

That’s not to say large purchases are safer. In this financial climate, every purchase should be considered potentially dangerous.

But it’s especially important for consumers to realize the damage that small purchases can do. Someone who enjoys little luxury purchases frequently while avoiding larger buys may very well see their spending add up and their savings grow shallow. The item may become a sour reminder for money woes and poor spending habits.

Groves referred to measurements of consumer confidence and said that small purchases may give buyers a positive benefit.

I have a hard time justifying small purchases just to feel good when there is so much economic uncertainty.

Associate economics professor Stephen Karlson suggested the concept that some tout of putting a small amount of money away at certain intervals to build savings.

“That’s the price of an expensive coffee (yeah, if people have the money for expensive coffee), and it can accumulate to over three thousand dollars in a year,” Karlson said in an e-mail.

While it is frightening to have luxuries eliminated, it may be the only way for many people to survive this treacherous time. It should also make consumers feel good to do a little saving. A cushion, even if it’s just a few dollars, should evoke more confidence than an unnecessary impulse buy.

Then, when the time comes for a necessary expense, the purse strings won’t feel so tight.

I may be one of few, but I’m sure there are others who share my sentiment of savings: In an economic situation like this, purchases don’t give me the same comfort as knowing I have a few extra dollars in the bank.

While saving is no doubt less fun than spending, consumers should adopt the idea that in this economic climate, no luxury is safe from possible elimination. Once we get used to that idea, this recession will feel a little bit easier to handle.

Don’t trick yourself into thinking that small purchases are any less significant than big buys. They add up quickly and may end up doing the worst financial damage of all.